Ace
"Listen, kid. Don't count out your family just yet. Don't make the mista-"
Ryan turns as the door opens to reveal Oblivion.
Well, damn. This just what we don't need.
Printable View
Ace
"Listen, kid. Don't count out your family just yet. Don't make the mista-"
Ryan turns as the door opens to reveal Oblivion.
Well, damn. This just what we don't need.
Paragon
"Would you turn aside so easily from everything you have ever wanted? Then you deserve nothing. Power, wealth, the baubles and trappings, the trinkets and the secular beatifications. These are meant only for those with the courage to take them. But I have so much more to offer you than these things".
The steel gauntlets, barbed with sharpened blades, rose to the edges of the hood and of the blank mask of Paragon's true face. With patient care the hood was swept away and with both hands the helmet lifted.
Radience shone forth, for a second blinding, and the dark knight bestowed a gentle and beneficient smile. One deadly hand cupped her stoney cheek with the tenderness of a father.
"The work we do together will save the world," he said and the words on his lips were the perfect conviction of a saint. His voice was a steady, almost hypnotic meter; soft and deep with a resonance like whale song, something felt as much as heard.
"We are at the beginning and at the end. This world we live in now is perishing - all the industries of man conspire to his destruction. All his frail gods are dead and their truths are ashen lies fit to choke. Hatred, fear and ignorance will cover the land until all that remains is darkness".
"But there is hope. A trial lies before the heroes of this city, those who have been gifted, you and I included. Through our actions something can arise from this age of the world. A limitless future. You will not be scorned by lesser creatures, you will be worshipped by them. We must prepare the crucible that will allow the forging of a great destiny from these broken shards - it is the most necessary and the most dreadful of tasks".
"They will call you villain, they will call me worse. I will break the police, I will break the army, I will break the government - because they are obstructions to a better future. I will be drowned deep in the blood of innocents long before my work is done and I flinch from none of these duties. Because without me the world will be altogether extinguished and the light of hope will vanish entire".
"I ask nothing of you that I would not ask of a child - to do that which is right and to trust".
And then he said nothing.
His angelic face showed only love, even as the unfathomable mind behind it held in place the deadly thought. Without word or sign he could release through his gentle touch the power to blast a fist-sized hole in the stoney amazon's face. Dark had revealed his hand - but Paragon could not permit an enemy to live with this knowledge.
Alex
Personal Journal Entry, October 31, 2014
Times have changed so rapidly in the last fifteen days. So many things have happened that it has become difficult to catalog. All I can tell is that those who have these abilities seem to be inclined to either keep their abilities hidden as I have or they tend to heroic actions. It's a funny thing. Many people have thought it and I will also echo their sentiment: these people could have been heroes before this accident. Do they feel that because they are "special" now that their power grants them the right to act above the law? I don't care how others see it, they are no better than vigilantes or even criminals themselves. I will see them expunged...wiped clean from the face of the earth. Yes, this means that I may have to, at some point, give up my own powers. That is fine; after all, I feel these new abilities carry less weight than power over many. I will happily, in a public ceremony, give them up if I can prove an antigen...especially if we can reproduce the reaction and it can give me back what I lose.
Make it mandatory. These heroes must hang up their capes and subject themselves to the antigen or be branded as criminals. Those who wish to continue to serve will be offered money to gain the skills needed to serve in legal ways, of course. I'm not completely heartless.
Alex
((Making your Diplomacy roll…success.))
Marcus scratches his eyebrow and considers your dual request. Well, I sure wouldn’t of told you if there were nothing you could do about it. They’re likely to want a range of advisors on the team, make their analysis comprehensive so they don’t miss anything. You know the government’s approach: throw enough money and people at it and it’s sure to get fixed. It’s not subtle, but it should give you an in. As far as recommending you, that’s a bit tricky, as no one’s supposed to know about it. However, I’m sure you’re already at least on their list, and an enthusiastic word about what a business wizard you are might help you come to mind when they get around to making the call. Can’t make any guarantees, but I’ll be able let you know tomorrow how it went.
As for your investing company – well, I haven’t felt the need for much more than what I’ve already got with AlacraStore. However…you make an intriguing proposition, and everyone’s thinkin’ a bit different with the way things have changed in the past few days. So why not? I’d be happy to lend a hand where I can, and you can be sure I’ll keep it under my hat, if only so that the ((AlacraStore)) board doesn’t find out. I assume you’ve already started planning out where your capital’s coming from, method of incorporation, that sort of thing?
(If you don’t have further questions or attempt to extend the conversation, he will politely excuse himself, as your walk has brought you back to your office building.)
Pulse/Reaper/1337
1337 nods, drawing a sheet of paper and a pen off the desk and twirling the pen idly while he talks. A’ight, let’s be organized about this. Reaper can probly get ‘bout anywhere, but until we know where to look, that might not be useful yet. BUT you have contacts with the Neo-Mafia that might still be usable. Pulse…if you built that thing ((pointing to your glider)), what else can you craft? Could you make us bugs to deploy? There’s a lot we can hack, but we gotta know where to begin. Intel gathering’s like a stone in a lake – if you start in the right place, the ripples just keep going and going until they cover the whole thing. What do you guys know so far? Any names or places would be fine, even pseudonyms. If I can get a name, I can run a broadening sequence of interlocking searches, find what cred numbers and other names it touches, where, when, and for what the cred’s used for, what address the cred is billed to and who lives there…see? Each set of ripples gets wider. Now, the police know this, too, but they have to be a tidge more legal with their searches, plus these gangs are too much to keep all their info online. Still, might give us some stuff to follow up, track down. So, thoughts? His eyes glitter with all the enthusiasm of any nerd diving into this month’s Hot New Game.
Judith/Jack/Tasha
The cashier stares after the departing girl for a moment before shrugging and sorting the cash into appropriate drawers. After a moment, the patrons turn back to their own tables, satisfied that the drama is over.
A few mutters of “lunatic”, at varying levels of audibility, follow Tasha out the door as she departs, but though a few of the glances she spies are less than friendly, it’s the middle of downtown in broad daylight, so she has little to fear.
As she sits in her car for a moment, attempting to catch her breath, a meteor hits the middle of the street. A moment later, that shocked impression quickly resolves into Inferno. The slapdash mutant makes a sloppy landing in the middle of the street, skidding a few yards like an out-of-control figure skater, and leaving the mother of all tire marks in the pavement. (Traffic is very light on the street at the moment, so this landing, although messy, is rather obviously without much danger to anyone). Apparently pleased with himself, he catches his balance and looks around. A moment’s effort sees the flames die down to about an inch high, as opposed to, well, an inferno, and he strides toward the hot dog vendor he has spotted. It’s difficult to make out his face, but the conversation seems to be going nowhere quickly.
Your choice of Spot, Listen, or Sense Motive (choose one) will reveal the following:SpoilerDC 10: *Everyone* within sight is paying attention. Their reactions seem split between interested and fearful, with interested holding the clear lead, since he doesn’t seem that threatening.
DC 15: Just a few people display unreasonable annoyance, the shadow of which was displayed toward Tasha when she began to act strangely at the register. “Ugh, do they *have* to come out in public?”, and that sort of thing. A rather larger percentage think this is about the coolest thing ever, and would be the type asking for autographs in another situation.
DC 20: Inferno has tried to request a hot dog, beginning to apologize that he can’t pay at the moment, until he figures out how to carry a wallet again. The vendor, though frightened, is laboriously explaining that he can’t just give hot dogs away, even to superheroes.
DCs reduced by 3 for any significant action to get closer/see better, like rolling down a window or walking out of the restaurant.
Oblivion/Nos/Ace/Jason
Catching Oblivion’s glance, the man amends his words. Well, it’s not so much the standing, but my new feet seem to prefer bouncing to walking, and after my first three attempts at walking to the bathroom all got my head stuck through the drop tile, I gave up. Can’t imagine what’ll happen if I tried it outside.
Just before they enter the nondescript hospital room, they hear a loud gasp and a yell from within. As they walk in, Jason’s eyes are already locked on Oblivion, and he shouts You…beast! What’re you doing here, trying to kill me again like you did last time? Spotting Nos, he quickly adds the rather obvious appeal, This guy tried to kill me, and all I was doing was trying to leave the hospital!
((Remind me what form/appearance you’re in at the moment, TOA?))
Paragon/Dark/Terra
Her previously doubtful eyes glow with inspiration as you finish your speech. Tell me what to do.
((Yep, Dark leads people around with a leash made of words. :D))
Ryan Tran/Ace
Ryan quickly puts a hand on Jason's shoulder.
"Jason! Calm down! He's not going to hurt you..."
He turns his head to lock eyes with Oblivion in a cold stare.
"Right?"
The highstrung emotions he had last night were gone, replaced by a concern for the kid's well-being.
Alex
"I've got some firm ideas, but I do not have a written business plan as of yet. It has been a busy couple of days and I'm still working on gathering my resources." Alex smiles...his winning, charismatic "trust me" smile. "You wouldn't have brought this to my attention without good reason. I offer this to you as much as in the spirit of being allied as repayment for the information.
"But the lunch hour is over and it is time for me to get back to the grind. I've got some meetings later this week to finish prepping for." He smiles again, slapping the older man on the back. "It's been good talking to you."
The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully. Papers to go over, inventory lists to pass on to his middle management, memos from the folks upstairs. Incredibly dull, but it was the cogs that made business run...and he loved every second of it. If you changed just one thing, here or there, you could conceivably change the entire face of the company.
Odd windfall, don't you think? You are looking for a way to get your foot in the door and one just falls into your lap. Who...or what...is responsible for this? Perhaps Dark was right and there is some sort of puppet master pulling everyone's strings, leading us inexorably toward his or her goals?
Maybe it's Dark himself, throwing people off the trail by pointing to another leader. I'm certainly inclined to believe that after blanking out for better than twelve hours...
Pulse
Pulse smiles, "I can make any standard electronic gizmo you might need, and a few that aren't currently on the shelves as well... for standard electronics, consider me at the level of the U.S. Military, about 5-10 years ahead of what the general public gets. Other things that I could make due to my expanded intellect, and using my own unique magnetic based technology well, those would take things to a very different level, each device would require careful research and planning. Electronic listening devices are no problem, just let me know what size and casing you want for them. I'm thinking that after we plan things out, I may be able to use some specialized magnetic devices to buy us some odds with our gambling group. Maybe if we break their bank we can either force the gang's hand in a direction we want... or take it over in a limited way. If we ran one of the gangs, what would be the increased likelyhood for gathering intel on the other two."
The Reaper
The Reaper nods, saying, "I know of one member of the Neo Mafia beyond the disposable grunts, Edmund Zelinski. He was a high-level enforcer for the Neo Mafia until he crossed paths with me. We had both been hired to eliminate one Wallace Eingelmyer, an unaffiliated arms dealer. Things did not go his way. He ended up in an alley with one ear and a leg so badly broken that he was left with a terrible limp. For a man of his profession, that could have been the end. But the Neo Mafia leadership smiled on him, and he ended up managing a safehouse somewhere in the industrial district, I'm not sure where."
He pauses, then says, "He, ah, doesn't like me much. Especially after he tried to take his revenge on me and I cut of three of the fingers on his right hand. Man could hold a grudge, that's for sure. So, um, can you work with that?" He directs this last question at 1337.
Oblivion
Pausing just far enough into the doorway to allow Nosferatu to enter as well, he inclined his head thoughtfully, closing his eyes as he did and sighing patiently. Despite the slightly inhuman tone to it, the slight irritation was unmistakable.
Looking quizically at the unknown visitor, his eyes narrowed as he made his reply "Do I know you? Regardless of your interest here, it is quite clear, that I would be have to be quite unbalanced, reckless and foolish to invite a well known figure of our community to serve as a mediator" he gestured slightly toward Nosferatu without taking his eyes off of the stranger,"only to attack anyone in a hospital staffed by powerful Neo-Sapiens in the middle of down-town in the middle of the day, without provocation."
Then, looking directly at Jason he said "Truly, childish name calling is beneath even you. For my part, I refuse to be reduced to such an exchange.
Be assured, I do not intend, nor have any interest in, apologizing to you or arguing with you. Simply put, the punishment fit the crime. I only hope that you will now be more...agreeable to discussion."
Then, moving fluidly to the other side of the room, giving both the paternal Ace and the bedridden teen a respectable berth, he sat down on one of the visitors chairs beneath the drawn curtains of the rooms window, leaning forward and steepling his fingers thoughtfully.
Looking sharply at the strangely familiar interloper, as if he had expected him to have already departed he said flatly, "Now sir, might I ask what your personal interest in this young man is? You don't appear to be family and judging by your reaction, well, you seem a bit too certain of my motives, not to mention your own ability to protect the young man, than would be...reasonably expected."
I wish that Natasha were here, she does seem to have such a way with people...
SpoilerDiplomacy: [roll0]...if it helps :smalltongue:
EDIT: You asked for it Kpenguine. Way to make this scene far more complicated than it alredy was. :smallannoyed::smallwink:
I'll never catch up to Dfpiii at this rate...
Oblivion
Focusing on the young man at the boys bedside, Oblivion took particular care to assess his response...as well as he himself.
This guy acts like he knows me, but, barring the attendees at the meeting today, which this man is almost certainly not one of, less than a handful of individuals have even seen me, let alone recognize me...unless.
The deep ebon pools of his eyes seemed to ripple, dark tendrils squirming languidly beneath his pale russet flesh.
Despite his relaxed pose, Oblivion readied himself as subtly as he was able for combat. If this man was the thing he suspected it could be, he was extremely glad that Nosferatu was in attendance as well.
He only hoped it would be enough.
Spoiler
First, Sense Motive: [roll0]
Second, Power Detection, starting this "round"
Third, he'd probably activate another power (not one obvious enough to notice I assure you)
Judy
"What? Oh... sorry," she said, returning her attention to Jack. "I thought I heard someone I knew." Judy tried to remember what he'd just said. Her earlier awkwardness seemed a little silly, now.
"Didn't recognize her, though," she went on, trying to restore a semblance of conversation. Seriously Judy, you're getting jumpy. It's not like other people can't know Alex, even gothy students. That he hasn't told me about.
How the hell would Alex have met her, though? I'd bet he hasn't been to a club or bar since grad school, his friends always used to have to drag him out... Maybe she's an intern or something.
Inferno's attempt at buying a snack jarred her out of her thoughts; she turned to watch. "There's a guy who's got things harder than you, anyway," she muttered to Jack without really thinking. "You think he's like that all the time?"
Jack Pretto
"Eh, I disagree that it'd be harder," Jack said quietly, his tone smacking a little bit of hurt feelings, "He's on fire all the time... it's not like it's a surprise anymore." To his credit, when the bill came, Jack was prompt, yet smooth, about picking it up... though look at it, he did not. It was important to show that the price wasn't important, after all; he was Jack Pretto. The gambler smiled, and took one last drink of water.
"Well Judy, I'm really glad you happened to be in the neighborhood... I really appreciate you taking the time to talk," Jack looked about to stand up, but didn't do so until Judy moved to, "Maybe we could do this again sometime? Without the fireworks," Jack gave Judy a smile... not one of those filled with glittering white teeth, "I'm your white knight" romantic smiles... just a smile, one that was handsome at best, and friendly at the worst.
Paragon
Paragon's black helm was clasped back into place, turning the white light back to beams of red, before he spoke again.
"I go tonight to acquire the substance we will use. Tomorrow night I will test it to ensure that what we get are motivated prisoners, rather than sleeping or dead ones. You're job is two-fold. Tomorrow I need you to scout locations - high value goods, large volumes of cash. Our raids must look opportunistic - we must seem to be taking advantage of the situation and not to have caused it. We'll take what we want by brute force - no clever thwarting of security devices, no piercing of bank vaults".
"Tomorrow evening I need you to scout out the prison itself. You need to find access to a delivery route - food storage, the water pipes. Something into which we can deposit the drug. Then the day after tomorrow, in the morning we will meet here again. I will give you the drug and we will finalise the plan".
"That afternoon you will smuggle the drug in and once it takes effect I will release the prisoners. Once that task is accomplished we will meet at a predetermined location and begin the thefts".
"Clear? You should not contact me until we meet here again in exactly 32 hours. First thing in the morning. If either of us fails to show we'll know something has gone wrong and the plan must be delayed".
Ace/Oblivion/Nos/Jason
The teen seems at least somewhat reassured by Ace’s presence. Giving up for the time being his search for the nurse call button, he glares at Oblivion. Yeah, sure…we can talk. Just don’t pretend that you beating me within an inch of my life was at all fair. All I did was run away and try to defend myself when you went all creepy slime-tentacles on me.
Alex
((DM’s roll = 7 = normalcy reigns for the time being))
Towards the end of the afternoon, Mrs. Smethfield raps lightly on your door before poking her head in to ask if you need anything, since she’s about to head home.
Pulse/Reaper/1337
1337 has clearly only picked up the pen and paper to have something to fiddle with, as he makes no obvious notes. A’ight, that should be enough names to get me started, keep me busy for a few hours. If you think of any more, even gang names or pseudonyms, that’d be useful. As far as bugs and gadgets, well, you’re the expert – I asked because they should be useful if we figure out where to put them, or if we can sneak them in on a gang member or one of us, but I’m sure you can design ‘em and stuff much better than me. As far as the probability stuff, that sounds seriously wicked. How well it’ll work…your guess is as good as mine, but I say give it a go when we get a chance. The gangs probably try to keep as much from each other as they can, but who knows, mebbe they still know more than the cops do. Anyway, we’ve only got a day – you guys think it’s better to get started now, or wait a few hours till we have more info, and mebbe some bugs? Seems like we could do either. Chiefie didn’t really put any one of us in charge, y’know? He shrinks slightly, as any teen trying not to earn the annoyance of a pair of adults might.
Judy/Jack(/Tasha)
Inferno’s conversation with the vendor continues to go nowhere, with Inferno growing more upset, until one of the nearby pedestrians takes pity on him and hands a few bills to the vendor. With a grateful thank you and a hastily withdrawn offer of a handshake, Inferno takes the loaded ‘dog from the vendor, and is happily chomping on hot dog flambé a moment later. He wanders toward a nearby empty park bench and sits down, apparently oblivious to the possible consequences.
Paragon/Professor Lachlan Dark/Terra
She nods slowly as the outlines of the plan become more clear. After a moment, she responds slowly, the grade school teacher returning as she breaks down the plan and repeats to him, albeit with pauses as the massive illegality of the operation continues to stick in her throat. Tomorrow during the day I look for jewelry stores and electronics places, without being suspicious…as an eight-foot tall statue. I think I can manage that. Then I guess you want me to do the earth-swimming thing to get around under the prison, see if there’s a way to get the poison in. I…don’t know much about architecture, but I can hang around for a while, see what I can find out. Then I meet you here at 6 am day after tomorrow, and we share how successful we’ve both been.
…Okay, I’m in. If nothing else, it’d be great to have someone to help me out who can look normal when they choose to. Could you…possibly…help me find somewhere to stay? My landlord kicked me out after I fell through the staircase at my old apartment – he wasn’t mean about it, but I’m too heavy for a third-story apartment any more, especially in that cheap place. I paid him to let me keep my stuff there for a little while, and for repairing the staircase, and that’s nearly cleaned me out for now. I don't have the money for much more than a down payment, and most landlords are going to want to wait until this stuff settles down a bit before they'll take on a mutant boarder with such obvious liability problems. The ones I've asked so far are nice, they just want to keep their apartments intact, and a half-ton boarder can't guarantee that.
Alex
After dismissing his secretary for the evening and thanking her for the assistance she provides, Alex suits up and heads back towards his apartment. It would be a long trip, as usual, but with these mysterious abilities he now had, confidence was running high that he could take care of any threats that came his way.
As he headed for the fast transit line, thoughts began rolling through his head again. This all feels too convenient for me. Someone...or something...wants me to take this road. We must be ever cautious and ever patient. After all, who can really stop me? Some hero looking to make a name for himself? Hardly; I wield such power, both through my own skill and through my new powers, that they cannot touch me. That and I'm not going to register on their radar of threats. Time is my ally.
Pulse
Pulse nods, "Go to work, I'll be back in a few hours with several bugs, and perhaps tracers... with only a day before us we don't have enough time to enact the "break the bank" scenario on the casino - so perhaps you'll have an idea of who we need to bug by the time I'm back, and perhaps Reaper can deploy them from the shadows." He nods to the other two and the chief, then turns and leaves the office and heads out to his glider to head home to his lab and begin preparations.
Kid Zeus/Gust
"Actually, I...I don't think I'm going back today, Gust." Hadyn said as he drifted along in the cloud bank aimlessly. "The reason I'm up here is that I just turned the school bully and his friends into light bulb filaments. I don't think I killed any of them...it was just a reflex when they tried to beat me up, just...BOOM. I think I want to get as far away from that as possible right now. I think I'll just head home, grab my costume, and look for someone breaking the law so I can vent my frustrations. Heh. Don't suppose you've got a lead on any mob bosses or supervillains you need help with?"Quote:
Originally Posted by harmonictempest
Tasha
You're kidding me. Tasha said out loud to herself as she watched the fire-laden man make a huge show of himself.
Looking back to the sushi place, she still seemed not to have been followed. Figuring the woman would have been here by now if she was coming at all, she popped her door and stepped from her car. To heck with it. At this point, the human bonfire was going to burn half the city without meaning to.
Hey! Don't do that you idiot! She yelled to him from the nice, safe distance of about twenty feet down the sidewalk. She certainly didn't intend to get much closer than that. Wooden bench! You're going to set half the block up! What in the @#$% made you think this was a good idea?
Judy
"Sure." Judy stood, and smiled back a bit. "Good luck with... that, by the way." She meant the "fireworks", of course. "If you ever want to talk to someone for a while, just give me a call." It was, occasionally, nice to have someone to chat with. Alex was a busy man, her mother was... her mother, and she didn't have many other friends she'd remained on good terms with.
And it was comforting to talk with someone who had some of the same problems she did, too.
She walked out with him as far as the sidewalk. The flaming mutant was still there, and she figured she might as well stick around and watch. Not talk to him—the last time she'd done that had made her realize it was a bit too high-profile than she liked—but since she'd only gone out to get away from her apartment, she didn't have much better to do here.
Ace/Ryan
"Didn't want to suggest you did."
Good. This dude... Oblivion... he doesn't recognize me.
Ryan considers, for a moment, excusing himself and leaving, but decides against it. Jason could use the support here.
As Jason begins to calm down, Ryan gives him a reassuring weak smile.
"Now, kid, that's not completely fair. He is certainly not slimy. I'm not sure if there's much moisture on him at all."
Jack Pretto
"Heh, thanks. Take it easy, Judy... I'll give you a ring sometime, be sure of it." The gambler gave her another smile, paying for the meal with his credit card, before stepping outside. He stared at the man engulfed in flames with... half amusement, half disbelief in his eyes; the guy had gotten his way after all, it seemed... and then a very attractive brunette started shouting at the fire mutant concerning his decision to enjoy his lunch. Jack couldn't help himself, and started to laugh. Not at Inferno, but at the girl... it wasn't a mean sounding laugh, just one that rang clearly of amusement, and adjusting his sunglasses, Jack walked over.
"Hey now, that's not very nice. The guy's just trying to eat his lunch. It's not like the city can't afford to put some cash into urban renewal," Jack smirked, "Not to mention that, really, half the block? From a park bench? Don't you think maybe you're overdoing it?"
Oblivion
Raising one eyebrow quizzically at the stranger as he made his strange, seemingly unrelated response, he slowly lowered his hands and craned his neck forward slightly, indicating his expectation for further response. With substantial effort he prevented the look of complete incredulity to erase his currently serene appearance of equanimity.
Simpletons both; the old saying seems to have proved itself quite true about birds and their flocking habits, he thought, clenching his jaw in mild irritation as he considered simply leaving them to their, more than likely, grim fate.
His senses continued to bore into the stranger, the familiar sensation of untapped power clearly emenating in irregular waves from the man's body.
As I suspected. It would certainly explain his confidence to stay with the boy, although for what reason is still only speculation...but the list is short and growing rapidly shorter.
Taking a deep breath, it seemed his body still required that human need, he paused to consider...
For now, he decided to press on and speak his part, despite his waning hope that either one of his audience would, or even could, comprehend him.
What exactly do you mean by that sir? No matter, I will let it pass for now, although I find your choice to purposefully ignore my inquiries quite rude. Your manners certainly leave something to be desired.
Now, allow me to introduce myself, I am the one known as 'Oblivion' and this is my newfound friend 'Nosferatu' whom you may have already heard of as he has been rather busy the last few days.
He paused, letting his attempt at formalizing the meeting sink in before concluding with the obvious question, "and your names are?"
Spoiler
Still have Power Detection ongoing.
Sense Motive roll to figure out wtf Ace is talking about and another to determine if they're lying when they give me their "names".
SM1: [roll0]
SM2: [roll1]
Alex
The fast transit line, the somewhat ironic name for the by-now comfortably middle-aged yet still reliable metro system, was a locale conducive to thoughtfulness. As the stations slipped by, Alex’s thoughts roved restlessly as he considered his next move. One could almost imagine the stock tickers behind those calculating eyes, numbers juggled with the ease of the practiced business acrobat as he idly considered the possibilities, probabilities, obstacles, and opportunities that might arise in his newest endeavor. Patterns emerged, were manipulated, reformed into more amenable layouts, and Alex could almost palpably feel his pocketbook getting heavier as he plotted the rise of his little cadre of world-shapers.
And then, something interrupted his thoughts. As they pulled away from the stop one of the commuters who had just boarded the lightly-filled car caught his eye. The otherwise unimpressive young man in jeans and a plain black Tshirt was also, Alex realized, wearing a ski mask. Unoriginal though his costume and plan were, the handgun he carried was readily convincing the dozen or so commuters on the car to part with their wallets, hastened by the young man barking threats at them when they moved too slowly. If Alex remembered the route correctly, it would be another two or three minutes before the next stop was reached, which would be…well, enough time for the robber, who had either gotten lucky or planned for that. There were another two or three people before the robber would reach Alex. No one else on the car appeared to be offering resistance, handing over their wallets with the resigned air of someone who evisirons several calls to their credit card company in their near future.
Pulse/Reaper/1337
1337 nods. Good by me – I’ll be here, or nearby, whenever you guys need me. Speaking of which Pulse, the chief did want to get some secure contact info from you, so he doesn’t have to flag you down again. Reaper, they already have your number, so you’re good. Do you know what you’ll be up to? I don’t want to get pushy or anything like that; so, uh, if you do know, that’s cool. If not, I may be able to come up with some locations that need watching and stuff, but it can wait till tonight too if you’ve already got plans.
((OOC: Pulse, don’t worry about “handles” or anything like that – it seems to have been more confusing than I intended. Feel free to stick with what you know and assume that secure email addresses are pretty easy to set up. Reaper: 1337’s attitude is mirroring mine – if you want to decide what you’ll contribute for the afternoon, go for it. Also: Is the D-Train stuff supposed to go down tonight?))
Kid Zeus/Gust
Gust emerges from the next cloud over and nods, his white costume unobtrusive in the bright autumn sky. Funny how it’s always the mundane stuff that’s the hardest; you should’ve seen what happened to my bathroom when I accidentally turned up the wind while shaving. As far as supervillains or mob bosses…well, I’m afraid I’m not the best contact for that. The biggest villain I’ve fought so far turned out to be an underage shapeshifter going for a joyride.
But keep your eyes peeled. You’re a fresh-minted god in a world that just got Pandora’s box dumped onto it. You won’t be able to take two steps without running into adventure, even if you deliberately hide from it. It’s going to be an exciting time, and for good or ill, they’ll be writing our names in books for centuries to come. But I doubt you planned on listening to philosophy in the clouds all day, and it’s chilly up here if you haven’t dressed for it. I’d say most of the larger city buildings would have something for a young hero to do by now – off the cuff, I’d guess that the hospital, police headquarters, the National Guard camp, probably have more going on than they can handle by themselves, not to mention that you could just fly over half the shady alleys in town until you find a mugging. So…enjoy it! But be who you are, and don’t ever be something just because it’s expected of you.The important question I guess is, who do you want to be?
Town Center (Tasha/Judy/Jack/Inferno):
((I think Tasha has black hair, not brown?))
Hearing Tasha’s shouted warning, Inferno jumps up from the bench. Fortunately, he hasn’t been sitting long enough to cause any permanent damage, though there is an admirably cartoonish black outline on the bench. Hey thanks, he says with somewhat rueful amusement in your direction. Though I don’t think I would’ve burned anything but the bench. I been reading old Fantastic Four comics and watching the movies, trying to get some ideas. “Flame on!” doesn’t work that well yet, since I can’t ‘Flame off’. I’m getting closer, though. He exerts himself, and flickers of not-flame run over his body, exposing thin slivers of rather average white American skin along his arms and neck.
((Jack shows up and speaks.))
Well, that’s nice of you to say. Hey cool, didn’t expect to draw a crowd just during my lunch break. Gotta tell you what I told the kids earlier, though – unless you’ve got a piece of wood, I can’t do much in the way of autographs. By way of example, he draws a fiery finger across the bench by his silhouette in an unintentionally Mosaic way, leaving “Inferno” in black block letters next to his outline.
Room 225 (Ace/Oblivion/Nos/Jason):
((To Ace)) Yeah, well they sure felt slimy when he wrapped ‘em around my throat, though he didn’t let me stay conscious long enough to be sure.
((To Oblivion)) My name’s Jason, if you care. What’d you want to discuss, anyway?
Kid Zeus
"Who do I want to be? I know that, already. Problem is, a lot of the 'superheroes' at that little meeting we were at earlier don't share my beliefs. I think we should be using these gifts, however we got them, to help people, make the world a better place. You called us 'gods' and I know you didn't mean it literally, but we are powerful...and I've been reading my comic books since I was old enough to enjoy the pictures. 'With great power, comes great responsibility.' It's our job now to watch over them from up here in the clouds, to make sure that nothing like what happened to...to keep horrible things from happening to good people." he corrected himself noticeably. Something had obviously happened to the people he cared about to make him feel that way so strongly.
"I just wish I could get through to the rest of...our kind...Nosferatu and the heroes that showed up to stop Reaper at City Hall seem to be the only ones doing their part. Most of them, I think, only see it in terms of how this could benefit numero uno, and that's frustrating, Gust. Why do we have these powers if not to do some good with them? What kind of a madman would use them for profit? Or to hurt others?" he shook his head. "I'm going to go get this t-shirt off my head and my costume back on. I think the National Guard station might be the best bet on tracking down the biggest problem, something that even the police don't want to handle. I'd love the help if you want to meet me there. We are two gods of the sky after all, right?" he grinned, showing it in his eyes.
"Seeya!" he said in parting and zoomed off towards his house, trusting that Gust wouldn't try to follow him. He made sure to come down in some trees behind his house to minimize the chance that someone might see him, then went in through the back door. His mother would still be at work until much later, so he was free to get suited up in relative peace.
Feeling much more heroic, Kid Zeus took off from that same forest behind his house, his airstream whipping the trees into a frenzy upon his takeoff and leaving a trail of dead leaves in his wake to spin lazily back to Earth again. Lightning crackling around his entire body and leaping from cloud to cloud then back to him again he flew straight for the National Guard station. Upon reaching it, he touched down upon an empty helicopter pad as noticeably as he could while not letting his "aura" jump around too much and scare people. "Hi!" he greeted the first soldier to approach. "Take me to your leader!" he grinned boyishly.
Natasha Verraine
SpoilerYes... Tasha'a hair is so dark it's for all intents and purposes... black. But I thought brunette WAS the term used for black hair too, isn't it? I can't think of one otherwise. Brunette, Blonde, Redhead..... and ?. Is there a term for black-hair?
Crap! It's the guy from inside.
Tasha tried to keep from looking shocked as Jack emerged from the sushi place, drawn by the very obvious sight that was Inferno.
I knew I should have just left... Now I can't just run, of he'll wonder what's up. If he gets my plate or something... I'm @#$%ed. She thought to herself, keeping her fair distance from both parties, Ok... ok... relax... You can do this.
Tasha took a deep breath and stepped a bit closer to the highly combustible man, trying her best to not look nervous.
Sorry about that. But you're causing a lot of damage without meaning to. A house I lived in caught fire once so... I'm kind of paranoid about it. She explained, arms slid behind her back with a sheepish look on her face, You can't turn that off at all? That must suck. I can't even begin to imagine.
Alex
All right, a little restraint is in order here. Perhaps I can scare this thug off without collateral damage. It would be a crime, literally and figuratively, if I were to blow out the side of the train and send people sprawling. Note to self: learn how to focus this force energy into a single target attack. Alex visibly relaxes himself, cracking his neck softly as he waited. In truth, this was mostly for show, but much could be accomplished with a threat as an attack...and he had left his sword cane at home today. Next time I see Dark, I'm going to have some serious words for him...
In the moments before the thug approaches him, his personality...the force of it....seems to grow and fill the area around him. Those standing near him begin to become uncomfortable and do their best to avoid what they believe could be a coming storm.
At the thug's approach, a low growl, almost inaudible, slips from his throat. "All right, kid, you had your fun. Drop it all and surrender now or you may find yourself in a world of hurt. With recent events, I would have thought you petty criminals would have given up the trade. More of these freaks with powers keep crawling out of the woodwork every second." I need to keep myself unknown, but I'd rather people think I'm a defender of people than a villain. It's so delicious when someone's hero turns on them.
SpoilerActivating Frightful Presence (Will DC 19) and reserving an action to activate Force Field if that fails to affect the thug.
Pulse
Pulse shakes his head, "No, you can contact me at the email LEP/[email protected]. My current plans are to go make the devices and return... we'll see how quickly I can put this stuff together."
The Reaper
The Reaper says, "I had some plans, but I haven't been in touch with my associate, so it's a no-go for now. Actually, I've got some things I'd like to discuss with you, Pulse. If it would hinder your work, or you'd rather I not intrude on your civilian life, it's perfectly fine. It's not of pressing concern. If that's the case, 1337, then I'd be grateful if you could find that warehouse so I can look up my old friend." His face has no mouth, but you can still almost see a grin on his face. "I think he still owes me twenty bucks, too. Maybe I should call it even."
((OOC: There isn't really anyone else in the D-Train plot, so I'll leave it alone for now. Feel free to bring it back into the mob plot later, though.))
Pulse
Pulse gestures for Reaper to come along, "We'll be back in a few hours, 1337, use the e-mail if you need me, I'll check it hourly." As you approach the doors of the station, he opens his cape. "If you need shadows, you can ride with me as before... or if you have another means, we can use that. I told you once that I believed you, and I offered you trust - you responded with the same. Whatever you think of yourself or your former deeds, I know you to be a man of honor. The fact that you denied a connection to the other mutates in the group to preserve their reputation... The fact that you asked if sharing my identity bothered me when I know you could easily fathom it if you only put a little work into the matter, reaffirms that opinion in me."
The Reaper
The shadowy being is difficult to read, but is noticeably affected by Pulse's trust. "I...thank you, Pulse." He is silent for a moment, then says quickly, "I'll ride in the cloak," before vanishing from sight.